Marcell Ozuna has been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
FWIW: Marcell Ozuna hit more home runs at cleanup last season (25) than the #STLCards hit from cleanup as a team (23)
— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) December 13, 2017
In return, the Marlins will be receiving a TBD assortment of players that will be announced at a later time. Rumors have identified MiLB pitcher Sandy Alcantara as the centerpiece of the deal. He’s currently ranked as the Cardinals 9th best prospect.
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Mr. Ozuna had a great 2017 season for the Marlins:
- 191 hits
- .312 average
- 37 home runs
- 124 RBIs
- .548 slugging
- 5.8 WAR
- NL All-Star
- NL Gold Glove
He played 152 games in LF in 2017 (3 in CF/1 in RF/2 as DH) and is expected to play LF for the Cardinals.
He will be playing his age 28 season in ’18 and is arbitration eligible for both ’18 and ’19.
He made 3.5M in ’17 and his salary will be much higher for ’18, but is TBD (expected to be in the 10-11M range). He can become an unrestricted free agent after the ’19 season if he isn’t signed by the Cardinals before then to a longer deal.
Here’s some information about Mr. Ozuna…
Social media links:
- Twitter (doesn’t have verified account)
- Facebook (doesn’t have verified account)
- Snapchat (doesn’t have verified account)
Nickname:
Wife:
Bit of a baller herself…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY_02O779rc
Things to know:
- He declined an invitation to ride on Jose Fernandez’s boat the night he died
- This is a shirt that his wife (video above) probably doesn’t love that is for sale
- Brandon Phillips is back in our lives, looks like
- He trains with elite baseball players during the off-season
- He was born in the Dominican Republic
- Seems like a pretty humble guy in his interviews
- Some putouts are more creative than others in left field
Swing breakdown:
2017 Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdMOTRPCIKk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCgB0ZtimRY
Instant reaction:
In 2017, Marcell Ozuna was in the top 5 in HRs (37), RBIs (122), and hits (189) among @MLB outfielders. pic.twitter.com/7Tgg6HmtDA
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) December 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/BenApplegate52/status/941012767041089536
Cardinals got a .246/.338/.425 batting line from their No. 3 hitters in 2017 and a .270/.350/.444 batting line from their No. 4 hitters. Marcell Ozuna slashed .312/.376/.548 with 37 HR and 124 RBI.
— Drew Silva (@drewsilv) December 13, 2017
I'm guessing I'll be getting a refund on that Sandy Alcantara autograph ticket I bought for Cardinals Winter Warmup. Would be willing to trade it for a Marcell Ozuna one though.
— Matt Moreno (@TheMattMoreno) December 13, 2017
Stephen Piscotty is only two months younger than Marcell Ozuna.
— Craig Edwards (@craigjedwards) December 13, 2017
Marcell Ozuna is a cardinal baby! Love it. Excited to see him in a cardinal uniform! #CardsNation
— Brent Tonsoni (@B_RENT05) December 13, 2017
Welcome to St. Louis, Marcell!
Photo: Vox
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